The present invention relates to games involving balls such as golf, and more particularly to a golf putting system with an associated ball return system, and yet more particularly to systems and methods for returning a golf ball to a desired location from a desired location utilizing a controlled and adjustable air flow.
The game of golf has become increasingly popular in the United States and around the world. To remain competitive and improve performance, golfers constantly practice their game. There is a need in the field for more opportunities for golfers to practice their game without the associated time and expense involved in physically practicing at a golf course or range. In particular, there is a need for implements to enable golfers to practice putting repetitively yet in a short amount of time.
Various devices have been developed or proposed in order to allow persons to practice golf. While these devices have taken a variety of configurations, they typically consist of features such as a hitting surface, target hole(s) and sometimes a ball return system. Conventional ball return systems have, for example, employed gravity through the use of automatic or manually inclined surfaces and channels. Other conventional systems have contemplated or utilized a golf ball ejector or pressurized fluid chamber to return balls to a holding tank or another location. The shortcomings associated with these systems include the relatively long time delay from the time of hitting the ball towards the target hole and the ball""s return to the golfer. In addition, the ball is returned in a manner that still requires the golfer to physically move to retrieve or re-position the ball for the next putt.
Furthermore, while conventional systems have included or proposed ball returns that return a ball, either to a holding tank or another area, there is a need for an improved system that can return the ball to the point of origin of the putt. With such a system, the golfer need not retrieve the ball nor change his or her original stance, grip, or posture, and can maintain more complete concentration without interruption after a putt. As an example, it is believed that conventional systems cannot provide a means for a golfer to hit at least 100 putts at a target hole such as in 8-10 minutes. Such repetitive putting practice is believed to significantly aid in the development of a smooth, predictable and repeatable putting stroke that can improve the accuracy and consistency of the golfer""s putting.
The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for returning a putted ball to the hitting area after the ball is hit into the hole or into a gutter, thereby allowing the golfer to repeatedly hit the ball numerous times in a period of minutes without requiring a change in his/her physical position (e.g., without requiring movement of the feet, etc., in order to retrieve the ball, etc.).
As a ball is hit and rolls into a target hole, or past the hole and into a gutter which is sloped and includes a second hole, the ball falls through a membrane gate into a channel of an air duct system. As the ball falls through either hole, a membrane air gate is provided that momentarily opens and then closes after the ball falls through it. Using the force of air generated by an air producing unit, such as one or multiple fans, the ball is gently propelled in the channel, which extends uprange (or downrange) along the putting surface and ultimately returning the ball generally to the point of origin. The ball exits the channel with momentum caused by the airflow onto the putting area and preferably follows along a curved frame structure positioned at the periphery of at least one side of the putting area, which acts to deliver the ball to the point of the original putt and preferably in the direction to be putted. The amount of air flow through the channel, the length, and the curvature of the frame structure preferably may be adjusted for speed and aiming in order to return the ball to a desired location.
Balls that do not fall into the target hole may fall into the gutter positioned behind or in whole or part around but spaced apart from the target hole for missed putts. The gutter preferably is inclined to deliver the ball through a hole that delivers the ball to the same air duct channel as the target hole and preferably returns the ball by the same airflow through the channel. The putting surface in preferred embodiments is variable in length and may be covered by artificial grass, fabric, carpet, or smooth material depending on the type of surface a golfer wishes to have simulated. It preferably may also be adjusted to provide either a true and straight putting surface, or may be contoured by the use of lobes or thumbscrews or the like in order to provide a curved or breaking surface, and also provide for various inclination levels to allow for a change in the speed and difficulty of the putt.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a putting green or surface, which may be stationary.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a putting green or surface, which may be portable in the example of a lightweight reduced size travel model.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a putting green or surface with foldable hinges along the surface for easy storage or with a cabinet for the putting green or surface to fold into.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a putting green or surface, which may be used outdoors.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a putting green or surface, which may be used indoors in the example of a fold-down model to be built into a home or a collapsible model for a hotel room or office.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a putting green or surface, which is extendable, for example, up to at least 16 feet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mechanism so that the putting surface may be adjusted for a faster or slower roll.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable mechanism so that the putting surfaces may be adjusted to be flat and true or may be varied into a contoured surface and/or with adjustable incline levels.
Another object of the invention is to have more than one target hole.
Another object of the invention is to allow for a target hole to be reduced in size in an effort to enhance the accuracy of the putt.
Another object of the invention is to provide a coin operated industrial model of the golf putting green or surface such as for recreational parks.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a preferably electronic score keeper or counter that detects balls putted versus putts attempted or may also assign different scores based on different positions on the green or surface.